Corporations: New Life in Old Wires

To millions of Americans, the
113-year-old Western Union Telegraph Co. means bicycling messengers in
green uniforms, miles of wire-carrying poles along railroad tracks and
yellow shafts of light from all-night offices. The telegram business
still accounts for more than half of the company's revenues, but it is
dwindling along with the poles and messengers. Venerable Western Union
is transforming itself into a new kind of telecommunications giant,
using the latest pushbutton automation to provide a range of services
as broad as electronic wizardry allows. This week, from the top of its...